Anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled to sulfate reduction: Consortium characteristics and application in co-removal of H2S and methane

Uncovering the microbial community structure and physiological profiles of terrestrial mud volcanoes: A comprehensive metagenomic insight towards their trichloroethylene biodegradation potentiality

Mud volcanoes are dynamic geological features releasing methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and hydrocarbons, harboring diverse methane and hydrocarbon-degrading microbes. However, the potential application of these microbial communities in chlorinated hydrocarbons bioremediation purposes such as trichloroethylene (TCE) has not yet been explored. Hence, this study investigated the mud volcano's microbial diversity functional potentiality in TCE degradation as well as their eco-physiological profiling using metabolic activity. Geochemical analysis of the mud volcano samples revealed variations in pH, temperature, and oxidation-reduction potential, indicating diverse environmental conditions. The Biolog Ecoplate™ carbon substrates utilization pattern showed that the Tween 80 was highly consumed by mud volcanic microbial community. Similarly, MicroResp® analysis results demonstrated that presence of additive C-substrates condition might enhanced the cellular respiration process within mud-volcanic microbial community. Full-length 16 S rRNA sequencing identified Proteobacteria as the dominant phylum, with genera like Pseudomonas and Hydrogenophaga associated with chloroalkane degradation, and methanotrophic bacteria such as Methylomicrobium and Methylophaga linked to methane oxidation. Functional analysis uncovered diverse metabolic functions, including sulfur and methane metabolism and hydrocarbon degradation, with specific genes involved in methane oxidation and sulfur metabolism. These findings provide insights into the microbial diversity and metabolic capabilities of mud volcano ecosystems, which could facilitate their effective application in the bioremediation of chlorinated compounds.

Insights into feasibility and microbial characterizations on simultaneous elimination of dissolved methane from anaerobic effluents and nitrate/nitrite reduction in a conventional anoxic reactor with magnetite

Discovery of nitrate/nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) challenges the conventional biological treatment processes, since it provides a possibility of simultaneously mitigating dissolved methane emissions from anaerobic effluents and reducing additional carbon sources for denitrification. Due to the slow growth of specialized DAMO microbes, this possibility has been just practiced with biofilms in membrane biofilm reactors or granular sludge in membrane bioreactors. In this study, simultaneous elimination of dissolved methane from anaerobic effluents and nitrate/nitrite reduction was achieved in a conventional anoxic reactor with magnetite. Calculations of electron flow balance showed that, with magnetite the eliminated dissolved methane was almost entirely used for nitrate/nitrite reduction, while without magnetite approximately 52 % of eliminated dissolved methane was converted to unknown organics. Metagenomic sequencing showed that, when dissolved methane served as an electron donor, the abundance of genes for reverse methanogenesis and denitrification dramatically increased, indicating that anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) coupled to nitrate/nitrite reduction occurred. Magnetite increased the abundance of genes encoding the key enzymes involved in whole reverse methanogenesis and Nir and Nor involved in denitrification, compared to that without magnetite. Analysis of microbial communities showed that, AOM coupled to nitrate/nitrite reduction was proceeded by syntrophic consortia comprised of methane oxidizers, Methanolinea and Methanobacterium, and nitrate/nitrite reducers, Armatimonadetes_gp5 and Thauera. With magnetite syntrophic consortia exchanged electrons more effectively than that without magnetite, further supporting the microbial growth.

Biogas utilization without desulfurization pretreatment in a bioelectrochemical system

Utilizing biogas as a fuel for heating and power generation usually requires desulfurization pretreatment. In this study, the biogas utilization without desulfurization pretreatment in a bioelectrochemical system (BES) was explored. The results showed that the biogas-fueled BES was successfully started up within 36 d and the presence of hydrogen sulfide promoted both methane consumption and electricity generation. The optimal performance (i.e., a methane consumption of 0.523 ± 0.004 mmol/d, a peak voltage of 577 ± 1 mV, a coulomb production of 37.86 ± 0.43C/d, a coulombic efficiency of 9.37 ± 0.06 % and the maximum power density of 2.070 W/m³) was obtained under bicarbonate buffer solution and 40 °C conditions. The addition of 1 mg/L sulfide and 5 mg/L L-cysteine facilitated methane consumption and electricity generation. In the anode biofilm, the dominant bacteria were Sulfurivermis, unclassified_o__Ignavibacteriales and Lentimicrobium, while Methanobacterium, Methanosarcina and Methanothrix were the predominant archaea. Besides, the metagenomics profiles reveal that anaerobic methane oxidation and electricity generation were closely related to sulfur metabolism. These findings provide a novel approach for utilizing biogas without desulfurization pretreatment.

Microbial repairing of concrete & its role in CO2 sequestration: a critical review

Background

Being the most widely used construction material, concrete health is considered a very important aspect from the structural point of view. Microcracks in concrete cause water and chlorine ions to enter the structure, causing the concrete to degrade and the reinforcement to corrode, posing an unacceptable level of structural risk. Hence repair of these cracks in an eco-friendly and cost-effective way is in the interest of various researchers. Microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) is an effective way considered by various researchers to heal those concrete cracks along with an important environmental contribution of CO2 (carbon dioxide) sequestration in the process.

Main content

As the current concentration of CO2 in the earth’s atmosphere is about 412 ppm, it possesses a deadly threat to the environmental issue of global warming. The use of bacteria for MICP can not only be a viable solution to repairing concrete cracks but also can play an important role of CO2 arrestation in carbonate form. This will help in carbon level management to lessen the adverse effects of this greenhouse gas on the atmospheric environment, particularly on the climate. To overcome the insufficiency of studies concentrating on this aspect, this review article focuses on the metabolic pathways and mechanisms of MICP and highlights the value of MICP for CO2 arrestation/sequestration from the atmosphere during the process of self-healing of concrete cracks, which is also the novelty of this work. An overview of recent studies on the implementation of MICP in concrete crack repair is used to discuss and analyse the factors influencing the effectiveness of MICP in the process, including various approaches used for CO2 sequestration. Furthermore, this investigation concentrates on finding the scope of work in the same field for the most effective ways of CO2 sequestration in the process of self-healing cracks of concrete.

Conclusion

In a prospective study, MICP can be an effective technology for CO2 sequestration in concrete crack repair, as it can reduce adverse environmental impacts and provide greener environment. This critical study concludes that MICP can bear a significant role in arrestation/sequestration of CO2, under proper atmospheric conditions with a cautious selection of microorganisms and its nutrient for the MICP procedure.

Graphical Abstract

FISH-TAMB, a Fixation-Free mRNA Fluorescent Labeling Technique to Target Transcriptionally Active Members in Microbial Communities

Keystone species or ecological engineers are vital to the health of an ecosystem; however, often, their low abundance or biomass present challenges for their discovery, identification, visualization and selection. We report the development of fluorescent in situ hybridization of transcript-annealing molecular beacons (FISH-TAMB), a fixation-free protocol that is applicable to archaea and bacteria. The FISH-TAMB method differs from existing FISH methods by the absence of fixatives or surfactants in buffers, the fast hybridization time of as short as 15 min at target cells' growth temperature, and the omission of washing steps. Polyarginine cell-penetrating peptides are employed to deliver molecular beacons (MBs) across prokaryotic cell walls and membranes, fluorescently labeling cells when MBs hybridize to target mRNA sequences. Here, the detailed protocol of the preparation and application of FISH-TAMB is presented. To demonstrate FISH-TAMB's ability to label intracellular mRNA targets, differentiate transcriptional states, detect active and rare taxa, and keep cell viability, labeling experiments were performed that targeted the messenger RNA (mRNA) of methyl-coenzyme M reductase A (mcrA) expressed in (1) Escherichia coli containing a plasmid with a partial mcrA gene of the methanogen Methanosarcina barkeri (E. coli mcrA⁺); (2) M. barkeri; and (3) an anaerobic methanotrophic (ANME) enrichment from a deep continental borehole. Although FISH-TAMB was initially envisioned for mRNA of any functional gene of interest without a requirement of prior knowledge of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA)-based taxonomy, FISH-TAMB has the potential for multiplexing and going beyond mRNA and thus is a versatile addition to the molecular ecologist's toolkit, with potentially widespread application in the field of environmental microbiology.

Conversion and speculated pathway of methane anaerobic oxidation co-driven by nitrite and sulfate

Anaerobic sludge from sewage treatment was employed to derive a microbial colony that is capable of anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled with sulfate reduction and denitrification. Investigations revealed that methane can be oxidized with sulfate reduction and denitrification. When sulfate and nitrite acted as electron acceptors together, the rates and amount of methane conversion were higher than that when sulfate or nitrite alone was employed as an electron acceptor. The oxidation rate and amount of methane conversion reached 1.9 mg/(d•gVSS) and 22.24 mg, respectively. Methanotrophic bacteria, such as M. oxyfera, and Methylocystis sp., sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), e.g. Desulfosporosinus sp., and Desulfuromonas sp.; and denitrification bacteria, such as Hyphomicrobium sp., and Diaphorobacter sp., presented in the bacterial community. Anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME), including Methanosaeta sp. and Methanobacterium sp. were found in the archaeal community. These findings indicate the coexistence of ANME, SRB and denitrification bacteria in the system. Nitrite reduction coupled with methane oxidation was performed independently by M. oxyfera during which limited oxygen generated. The oxygen released may be utilized by methanotrophic bacteria to produce organics, which could be used by denitrifying bacteria to reduce nitrite. Methanotrophic archaea could also oxidize methane to carbon dioxide or organics by reverse methanogenesis whereas sulfate was reduced to sulfide by SRB. This study opens possibility for biotechnological process of sulfate reduction and denitrification with methane as electron donor and provides a method for the synergistic treatment of wastewater containing sulfate/nitrite and waste gas containing methane.

Exploratory analysis of the microbial community profile of the municipal solid waste leachate treatment system: A case study

Studies on the degradation dynamics of landfill leachate indicate that the microbial community profile is a valuable and sensitive tool for landfill monitoring programs. Although knowledge about the microbial community can improve the efficiency of leachate treatment systems, little is known about the microbial profile changes that occur throughout the leachate attenuation process. In the present work, an exploratory analysis of the microbial community profile of the MSW leachate treatment system in the municipality of Osório (Brazil) was conducted. In this way, a comprehensive analysis of chemical parameters, isotopic signature and microbial profile data were applied to monitor the changes in the structure of the microbial community throughout the leachate attenuation process and to describe the relationship between the microbial community structure and the attenuation of chemical and isotopic parameters. From data analysis, it was possible to assess the microbial community structure and relate it to the attenuation of chemical and isotopic parameters. Based on massive parallel 16S rRNA gene sequencing, it was possible to observe that each leachate treatment unit has a specific microbial consortium, reflecting the adaptation of different microorganisms to changes in leachate characteristics throughout treatment. From our results, we concluded that the structure of the microbial community is sensitive to the leachate composition and can be applied to study the municipal solid waste management system.

Bacteria and archaea involved in anaerobic mercury methylation and methane oxidation in anaerobic sulfate-rich reactors

The identification of dominant microbes in anaerobic mercury (Hg) methylation, methylmercury (MeHg) demethylation, and methane oxidation as sulfate-reducing bacteria, methanogens or, probably, anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANMEs) is of great interest. To date, however, the interrelationship of bacteria and archaea involved in these processes remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated the dynamics of microorganisms participating in these processes. Anaerobic fixed-bed reactors were operated with swine manure and sludge to produce methane stably, and then, sulfate (reactor C), sulfate and Hg(II) (reactor H), and sulfate and MeHg (reactor M) were added, and the reactors were operated for 120 d, divided equally into four periods, P1-P4. The bacterial compositions changed nonsignificantly, whereas Methanosaeta in reactors H and M decreased significantly, revealing that it was irrelevant for Hg transformation. The abundances of Syntrophomonadaceae, Methanoculleus, Candidatus Methanogranum and Candidatus Methanoplasma increased continuously with time; these species probably functioned in these processes, but further evidence is needed. Desulfocella and Desulfobacterium dominated first but eventually almost vanished, while the dominant archaeal genera Methanogenium, Methanoculleus and Methanocorpusculum were closely related to ANME-1 and ANME-2. PLS-DA results indicated that both bacteria and archaea in different periods in the three reactors were clustered separately, implying that the microbial compositions in the same periods were similar and changed markedly with time.

Quantifying the electron-donating and -accepting capacities of wastewater for evaluating and optimizing biological wastewater treatment processes

Biological processes have been widely used for the treatment of both domestic and industrial wastewaters. In such biological processes, pollutants are converted into pollution-free substances by microorganisms through oxidation-reduction reactions. Thus, how to quantify the internal oxidation-reduction properties wastewaters and seek out targeted countermeasures is essential to understand, operate, and optimize biological wastewater treatment systems. So far, no such approach is available yet. In this work, a novel concept of electron neutralization-based evaluation is proposed to describe the internal oxidation-reduction properties of wastewater. Pollutants in wastewater are defined as electron donor substances (EDSs) or electron acceptor substances (EASs), which could give or accept electrons, respectively. With such an electron neutralization concept, several parameters, i.e., electron residual concentration (R), economy-related index (E and E_r), and economical evaluation index (Y and Y_r), are defined. Then, these parameters are used to evaluate the performance and economic aspects of currently applied wastewater treatment processes and even optimize systems. Three case studies demonstrate that the proposed concept could be effectively used to reduce wastewater treatment costs, assess energy recovery, and evaluate process performance. Therefore, a new, simple, and reliable methodology is established to describe the oxidation-reduction properties of wastewater and assess the biological wastewater treatment processes.

Laboratory scale bioreactor designs in the processes of methane bioconversion: Mini-review

Global methane emissions have been steadily increasing over the past few decades, exerting a negative effect on the environment. Biogas from landfills and sewage treatment plants is the main anthropogenic source of methane. This makes methane bioconversion one of the priority areas of biotechnology. This process involves the production of biochemical compounds from non-food sources through microbiological synthesis. Methanotrophic bacteria are a promising tool for methane bioconversion due to their ability to use this greenhouse gas and to produce protein-rich biomass, as well as a broad range of useful organic compounds. Currently, methane is used not only to produce biomass and chemical compounds, but also to increase the efficiency of water and solid waste treatment. However, the use of gaseous substrates in biotechnological processes is associated with some difficulties. The low solubility of methane in water is one of the major problems. Different approaches have been involved to encounter these challenges, including different bioreactor and gas distribution designs, solid carriers and bulk sorbents, as well as varying air/oxygen supply, the ratio of volumetric flow rate of gas mixture to its consumption rate, etc. The aim of this review was to summarize the current data on different bioreactor designs and the aspects of their applications for methane bioconversion and wastewater treatment. The bioreactors used in these processes must meet a number of requirements such as low methane emission, improved gas exchange surface, and controlled substrate supply to the reaction zone.

Auxiliary voltage enhanced microbial methane oxidation co-driven by nitrite and sulfate reduction

In this study, single-chamber bioelectrochemical reactors (EMNS) were used to investigate the methane oxidation driven by sulfate and nitrite reduction with the auxiliary voltage. Results showed that the methane oxidation was simultaneously driven by sulfate and nitrite reduction, with more methane being converted using the auxiliary voltage. When the voltage was 1.6 V, the maximum removal rate was achieved at 8.05 mg L^-1 d^-1. Carbon dioxide and methanol were the main products of methane oxidation. Simultaneously, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, sulfur ions, and hydrogen sulfide were detected as products of sulfate and nitrite reduction. Microbial populations were analyzed by qPCR and high-throughput sequencing. The detected methanotrophs included Methylocaldum sp., Methylocystis sp., Methylobacter sp. and M. oxyfera. The highest abundance of M. oxyfera was (3.97 ± 0.32) × 10⁶ copies L^-1 in the EMNS-1.6. The dominant nitrite-reducing bacteria were Ignavibacterium sp., Hyphomicrobium sp., Alicycliphilus sp., and Anammox bacteria. Desulfovibrio sp., Desulfosporosinus sp. and Thiobacillus sp. were related to the sulfur cycle. Ignavibacterium sp., Thiobacillus sp. and Desulfovibrio sp. may transfer electrons with electrodes using humic acids as the electronic shuttle. The possible pathways included (1) Methane was mainly oxidized to carbon dioxide and dissolved organic matters by methanotrophs utilizing the oxygen produced by the disproportionation in the cells of M. oxyfera. (2) Nitrite was reduced to nitrogen by heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria with dissolved organic compounds. (3) Desulfovibrio sp. and Desulfosporosinus sp. reduced sulfate to sulfur ions. Thiobacillus sp. oxidized sulfur ions to sulfur or sulfate using nitrite as the electron acceptor.

Performance and functional microbial communities of denitrification process of a novel MFC-granular sludge coupling system

The performance, microbial communities and functional gene metabolism of the novel microbial fuel cell (MFC)-granular sludge coupling system was investigated. The results showed that COD and nitrogen removal can be up to 1.3-2.0 kg COD/L, 20-30 mg NO2--N/L, and 60-70 mg NO3--N/L, respectively. Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Firmicutes were the dominant bacterial phyla, and the denitrification process was mainly consisted of the dominant denitrifying bacteria: Thauera (26.21%) and Pseudomonas (14.79%) in the first compartment, combining with denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation bacteria: NC10 phylum of 0.072% (the first compartment) and 0.089% (the fourth compartment), Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera of 0.044% (the first compartment) and 0.048% (the fourth compartment). According to functional gene classification for Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, metabolism was the main cluster for the whole sequence in the KEGG (7.17-11.41%), indicating that the dominant metabolic pathway played an important role in the degradation of pollutants.

Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane in Freshwater Sediments of Rzeszów Reservoir

The anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is an important sink of methane that plays a significant role in global warming. However, evidence for the AOM in freshwater habitats is rare, especially in dam and weir (small-scale dam) reservoirs. Here, the AOM process was examined in freshwater sediments of a small-scale dam reservoir located in Rzeszów, SE Poland. The AOM rate was determined in the main experiment with the addition of the 13CH4 isotope marker (He+13CH4). Sediments were collected three times: in spring (in May, 15 °C), in summer (in July, 20 °C) and in autumn (in September, 10 °C). Further analysis considers the impact on AOM rate of potential electron acceptors present in pore-water (NO2−, NO3−, SO42−, and Fe3+ ions). The work suggests that an AOM process does take place in the studied reservoir sediments, with this evidenced by the presence in the headspace of an increased 13CO2 concentration deemed to derive from 13CH4 oxidation. Rates of AOM noted were of 0.36–1.42 nmol·g−1·h−1, with the most intensive oxidation in each sediment layer occurring at 20 °C. While none of the potential electron acceptors considered individually were found to have had a statistically significant influence on the AOM rate, their significance to the dynamics of the AOM process was not precluded.

Odor emission and microbial community succession during biogas residue composting covered with a molecular membrane

A membrane-covered composting system was used to investigate the odor emission and microbial community succession during biogas residue composting. Results showed that in comparison with the control (CK) group, the NH₃ and H₂S emissions outside the membrane of the membrane-covered (CT) group decreased by 58.64% and 38.13%, respectively. The nitrogen preservation rate of the CT group was increased by 17.27% in comparison with the CK group. Moreover, the ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen contents of the CT group were 37.68% and 11.77% higher than those of the CK group, respectively. Microbial analysis showed that the average abundance and co-occurrence rate of ammonification bacteria dominated by Pseudomonas and Bacillus in the CT group were lower than those in the CK group, and the abundance of anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) dominated by Desulfovibrio in the CT group was higher than that in the CK group.